Heineken Cup rugby

[Taffy]

The Heineken Cup starts this weekend and this year's competition should be a cracker with a lot of the World Cup stars on show.

Players such as Percy Montgomery, John Smit, Doug Howlett, Juan Martin Hernandez, Chris Jack, Ignacio Corleto, Damien Traille, Villiami Delasau, Aaron Mauger, Byron Kelleher, Ronan O'Gara and Gareth Thomas will be crucial to any success their clubs have in this year's tournament following a busy time in the World Cup.

There's some very difficult groups in there this year with it being very hard to find a winner from each group - Pool 5: Clermont Auvergne, Llanelli Scarlets, Wasps, Munster seems the pick of the lot as the Group of Death!

On paper Stade Francais are firm favourites but with so much talent on show it will again be a tough call, with many teams capable of going all the way.

So there's some cracking games ahead, starting this weekend, with two Anglo-Irish tussles in Leinster-Leicester and Wasps-Munster to look forward to and I also like the look of Cardiff Blues-Bristol and Clermont-Scarlets as very close calls too!

[Angry Dan]

I think you are missing the Ulster v Gloucester game which is on tonight!

Gloucester are going to batter Ulster with the big man Lesley Vainikolo getting at least 2 tries.

[Taffy]

I think you are missing the Ulster v Gloucester game which is on tonight!

Gloucester are going to batter Ulster with the big man Lesley Vainikolo getting at least 2 tries.

I also think that Gloucester will win that one.

[Angry Dan]

Try number one for Lesley after 7 mins

[Taffy]

The Dragons were very unlucky at Perpignon tonight apparently, losing 23-19 despite scoring 3 tries to 2 away from home.

[Rocket]

Scarlets and Blues on this afternoon

c'mon Scarlets

[Taffy]

The Scarlets game was a good 'un - shame they didn't get another try to get the bonus point.

[thesilverfoxlfc]

Was at the Wasps V Munster match the weekend Rioch Arena is a lovely stadium. Coventry isnt all that great

Anyways good match shame we gave a 10 point lead away i thought we had them ROG is playing great stuff again, Quinny was on fire and the two boys in the middle Tipoki and Larry Mafi were on fire exciting partnership and im glad we have a bit of muscle in the centre with Tipoki since we lost Halstead in the summer

At least we got a bonus point which was important i have a good feeling about this year, very tough group but the players seem to have got over the WC and will have Dougie Howlett coming in January

[thesilverfoxlfc]

Can we make this a sticky mods please

[thesilverfoxlfc]

Im still waiting for this to bea sticky

[Taffy]

Is that sticky enough for you?

[thesilverfoxlfc]

Not quite but good try

[Taffy]

With the second phase of games upon us I've started looking at the games ahead this weekend, and there's some crackers in there again!

Games like Gloucester v Ospreys, Biarritz v Saracens, Scarlets v Wasps, Munster v Clermont and Toulouse v Leinster have the potential to be classics, with the Dragons v London Irish and Harlequins v Blues also looking close calls.

I expect Glasgow, Ulster, Perpignon, Leicester, Stade, Biarritz and Munster to win their matches though but we should get some real tough battles in the games mentioned above.

With so many close matches on paper, it seems, the weekend could bring about a few surprises along the way!

[thesilverfoxlfc]

Im heading to the Munster v Clermont match on sunday at the building site(Thomand Park ) should be a cracker of a game Clermont are a good side full of stars Hopefully Munster will do they looked up for it against Wasps last weekend!!

Toulouse v Leinster should be another cracker Toulouse want revenge for what Leinster did to them the other year at home if Leinster get a bonus point out of it then it will be job done, but beating Leicester last week gave them massive confidence

Gloucester v Ospreys another cracker - Gloucester to win although Ospreys look good this year some fine signings to go with good players Philips is a class player!!

Dragons v London Irish - Irish to win

Biarritz v Saracens - Biarritz easy win

Scarlets v Wasps - Wasps for the away win

Harlequins v Blues - Blues for the away win

[Taffy]

Ospreys threw that game away tonight!